Former Cubs All-Star Anthony Rizzo is returning to the organization as an ambassador for the club and will retire as a Cub during an on-field ceremony at Wrigley Field before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Rizzo, 36, played 14 years in MLB including a decade with the Cubs where he made three All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves. His biggest accomplishment was helping lead Chicago to a World Series title in 2016, its first for the organization in 108 years. He played his final 3½ seasons for the New York Yankees after being traded there in the summer of 2021.
“Anthony Rizzo was the face of one of the most successful eras in Chicago Cubs history and we are so excited he will be a part of our organization for many years to come,” Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “His play on the field spoke for itself and was recognized with multiple All-Star appearances, Gold Glove Awards, the Roberto Clemente Award and, ultimately, being a team leader on the 2016 World Series championship team.”
Rizzo has a career .828 OPS including 303 home runs. His first homer came as a member of the San Diego Padres after being traded there from the Boston Red Sox who drafted him in 2007. The Cubs acquired him via trade in 2012, shortly before his career took off. By 2014, he was a mainstay at first base for the Cubs who would make the postseason every year from 2015-18 with Rizzo as one of the faces of the franchise. He earned MVP votes in five consecutive seasons while hitting 30 or more home runs in four of those years — not an easy task for a left-handed hitter at Wrigley Field.
Rizzo was a key player for the Cubs during the 2016 postseason, hitting .360 with a .484 on-base percentage against Cleveland in the World Series after hitting .320 in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He teamed with third baseman Kris Bryant to form a dynamic duo in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup, eventually taking home the team’s first title in over a century.
Rizzo has been known for his off-the-field work with cancer patients as much as for his on-the-field accolades. A cancer survivor himself, Rizzo created the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation with its sole purpose to service kids with cancer. In 2017, he was honored as the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, the highest community service honor awarded by the league.
Rizzo joins other Cubs ambassadors including Andre Dawson, Ryan Dempster, Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Billy Williams, Kerry Wood and Ben Zobrist.
“I don’t know what capacity he’ll be around the organization moving forward but it’s so cool to have people around, whether it’s legends like Billy Williams or (Sandberg) or whoever it is that just remind you of the impact that can be had in the organization and the joy that can be created for fans,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “Having (Rizzo) around like that in any capacity will be really fun.”
